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 President’s
Column
A Note from Peter Brehm
NAGASA President and CEO
Forum 99, and Products and Services for the
Millennium
Forum 99 addressed the concepts of partnering from both macro
and micro perspectives.From a macro view, keynoter Ed Rigsbee
introduced partnering concepts and moderated a panel of representatives
from other industries reporting on the innovate approaches, helpful
hints, and hard work that have made their partnerships successful.
Bob FitzPatrick’s report on NAGASA’s FlashStudy #3 (see
inside for more information) and his panels ofNAGASA members and
industry leaders rounded out the big-picture examination of this
topic and brought it home to the channel.
Afternoon roundtables and workshops provided a wealth of specifics
on how we can better manage our businesses, our people, and our
processes. Ideas and frank discussion abounded. Here are just
a few of the tidbits covered:
- E-commerce is here through electronic data interchange and
the internet.
- We’re not just selling consumables and equipment, we’re
supporting processes, which includes value- added services,
help desks, training, vendor-managed inventory (a concept distinct
from consignment), and even insurance, rigging, and general
contracting.
- Formal customer surveys are valuable, though little-used
tools with which we can objectively benchmark and understand
customer needs.
- Effective training — of employees, customers, and our
customers’ customers — is a must.
- Perceptions aside, customer loyalty is not seriously on the
wane.
- Dealers should consider interdepart-mental charge-backs for
service costs and should develop and promote service contracts
that are tailored to a range of customer needs and budgets.
(The NAGASA Model Service and Maintenance Agreement provides
a good starting place for development of these agreements).
Planning has already started for Forum 2000. I encourage you
to mark your calendar now for the conference, April 9-12 at the
Hilton Palacio Del Rio, adjacent to the Riverwalk in San Antonio,
Texas. Please send us your suggestions and comments for topics
that should be included on the Forum 2000 program, and let us
know if you can join the Forum 2000 Planning Committee!
Expanding NAGASA Publications and Services
Committee efforts, such as those of the Owner-Managed
Dealer Network and Equipment and Supplies Network for Small Manufacturers
and Distributors, are central to advancing NAGASA’s efforts
and the channel. I encourage you and your colleagues to take advantage
of a wider range of products and services that we’re making
available to members in 1999. Initiated to help you operate your
business in a more efficient and profitable manner, these products
and services include:
New Services
- New-hire profile assessments through Caliper, a leading human
resources consulting firm.
- Sentry Benefit Builder insurance, which provides cost-effective
supplemental group health insurance and group life/ accidental
death and dismemberment, weekly income, dental, and prescription
eyewear benefits.
- Package tours to DRUPA, with a members-only discount, through
a partnership with Print America.
NAGASA Publications
- “FlashStudy No. 3: Partnership in the Real World, Today.”
- A White Paper on “Customers for Life.”
- A “Guide to Vendors of Computer Systems,” which
represents the second phase of an effort initiated with publication
of NAGASA’s landmark “Guide to Selecting A New Computer
System.”
- The “1999 Financial Ratios Survey of Dealers and Resellers”
is underway, with publication expected in July.
- The Equipment and Supplies Network for Small Manufacturers
and Distributors is working on a White Paper tentatively entitled
“Advertising and Marketing Between Manufacturers and Dealers:
A Guide for New Channel Partners.”
Other Publications
NAGASA is also starting to offer a wider range of publications
written and published by some of the leading trainers and consultants
to the channel, including:
- “Achieving Service Excellence” (encompassing three
manuals: “The Service Manager’s Tool Case,” the
“Policy Manual,” and the “Forms and Procedures
Manual”) by Larry Murray of Interface Network.
- Additional subscriptions to “The Eagle,” the quarterly,
independent journal of the distribution business within the
digital imaging industry, co-edited by Robert L. FitzPatrick
and Stephen P. Aranoff.
Collaborations
Responding to calls by members to work with other groups on
projects that reflect NAGASA objectives, the association is collaborating
with NPES to market The 1999 NPES International Trade Seminar.
Focused on preparing for the Euroland market and DRUPA 2000, the
one-day seminar is set for Friday, June 25, at the Drake Oak Brook
Hotel, in the Chicagoland area. NAGASA members qualify for member-rate
registration fees; details will be mailed to members shortly.
Contact NAGASA for more information.
Participate Today!
NAGASA’s goal is to help the channel advance technical
information and business performance. Joining peers at the Forum
meeting and at NAGASA/ Dealer Communicator trade-show breakfast
roundtables represent opportunities for members to do so. Providing
input through efforts such as the Dealers and Resellers Financial
Ratios Surveys and FlashStudies offers another; joining committees
such as the Forum 2000 Planning and Trade Show Committee offer
even more. I encourage your participation today!
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The Compass || Summer
1999